Entering The Unknown

[kmitchell96]

Financial Struggles
The board called me in for a meeting this week and gave me a real in depth discussion about the financial situation at the club and it was not good. The previous manager had taken the club from a balance of almost £100k to next to nothing.

This was in large part to his wage spendings. Overall the previous boss was £1400 over the wage budget each week and this was destroying the club finances. They asked me if I knew how bad it could get and warned me there was nothing they could do to fix it.

I disagreed.

All we needed to do was release some players on high wages. Out go O'Keefe and Rouse who's combined wage was almost £900 a week for two back up players who would likely never play. And now I am only £500 down.

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Assistant manager and player Sodje was offered a new contract. He would never play for us again and at 42 I doubt he wanted to so I offered him a contract with just the assistant manager role but he rejected it so I released him and brought in a new, better and cheaper option in Roger Ashby.

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Now with £15 to spare a week on wages the finances should see a bit of a rise or at least stop dropping as quickly.

The board were happy that I had turned the wage bill around and with some work in January I would look to continue to keep improving the financial situation at the club as we look to build and move forward.

The fans were a little less understanding as they were just upset to see Sodje leave but they will have to learn to understand the reasoning behind it. He was on £650 a week and sat in the Under 21 squad.

I have replaced O'Keefe who was our number 2 goalkeeper with an older but just as good Ritchie Branigan. The 23 year old was sat in the under 21 squad but O'Keefe was on £500 a week where as Ritchie is on £200. Big difference. Also with 24 year old Rhys Taylor in net no back up keeper will get a look in past the keeper who should be playing at least in league 2!​

 

[kmitchell96]

Game 20: Chester (VC)
Another big game this week as I manage my first home game at The Moss Rose. It will also play significance in the battle for survival. With Grimsby picking up in form we need to keep winning to keep up and this comes against Chester who sit in 21st.

The visitors though have been in some good form with 3 wins from their last 4 in all competitions so it won't be an easy task to take all 3 points. With only 6 scorers in all competitions though we will have the task of shutting down few players. Matty Hughes plays as a lone striker and has 5 goals to his name so far this season so if we can shut him off we should do well in todays game.

Earlier in the week due to the releases I had to bring in a defender on loan after a training injury was picked up so I brought in Greg Taylor came in from Cambridge on loan and he can play anywhere across the back line. The new assistant manager also suggested signing a couple of coaches to improve training and development and I followed the advice.

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Before the game we were greeted with news from the physio that Turnbull, our key player, would be out for up to 2 weeks with a training injury meaning he would be out for today's key fixture. The new loanee comes in at left back whilst we play the strongest side we can try to pick up what will be key points for us.

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What a performance and what a win! Chester didn't know what hit them as we dominated the game from start to finish. Controlling the ball with our quick, short passing game we ran rings around them all game and the only criticism is that we didn't score more (mainly due to a fantastic, man of the match performance from the Chester keeper).

We won the game from the back and led by a fantastic performance from our back 4. In my opinion the loanee Taylor was our best player as he made a fantastic debut performance for us. Hughes who is their top scorer did have a couple of semi-chances but he was never going to score against us as our defense was 10/10.

The win sees us stay in 20th but we are now 3 points ahead of Chester and the relegation zone. With another promising performance I see no reason that now we have a stronger coaching team that we can't go ahead and build up a streak to push up the table.​

 

[kmitchell96]

Game 21: Welling (VC)
A tough game against a team challenging for promotion so we would have to be at the top of our game to get anything today. Welling are a strong attacking side with 4 goal scorers having 4 or more goals (including 2 on 8!). However defensively they can struggle so hopefully we can exploit that.

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We stick with the diamond in the middle with 2 strong performances and wins using it now. However a few changes have been made because of fitness and injury problems. With the team we are playing I can't see us winning but can see us grabbing a point.

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Whilst I was disappointed to lose after going ahead I was happy with the performance. I reminded the players that we were playing away against a top 8 team after the game as they all seemed frustrated.

Moke won a penalty early on which we converted but Welling used their strike force to pull it back to 1-1 in the first half. Late on fitness dropped a lot and they made it 2 with a counter attack which saw a tired defence struggle to make any differences.

We once again controlled the game and possession but missed that final pass to create clear cut chances which we had in previous games. Defensively for the first 80 minutes we were fantastic but once fitness caught up we struggled to stay in the game.

The bad news is that Moke will be out for up to a month. The Welling defense didn't know how to cope with him as he ran rings around them all day and this resulted in them opting for a rugby style of play leaving him injured after only just coming on.

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[kmitchell96]

Transfer News
Darren Wrack has once again added defensive depth to the team as he completes another loan signing. The 22 year old full back from Southend operates best on the right but can also play as a central defender. The initial loan is for 3 months however it is believed that the club will have the option to extend.

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This leaves many wondering where right back Andy Halls will now fit in to Wrack's plans as the 22 year old has struggled to meet potential and with 18 year old Daniel Cowan developing well many believe that this signing could see the end of Halls Macclesfield career.

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With Thompson strongly believed to be the stronger of the 3 options at right back the back up spot will have to be won by Halls as Cowan continues to improve. Whilst it is believed that Halls has the better attributes now it was showcased at Barnsley that Wrack loves to use young talent to improve leaving Halls position at the club in question.

It is also believed the wages of the 2 players could be a factor in the decision. With the club recently releasing details of financial struggles many believe that the £350 a week wage could be seen as "unnecessary" by the club as they could opt to keep the cheaper Cowan.​

 

[kmitchell96]

Game 22: Alfreton (VC)
Another big game today for The Silkmen as we take on Alfreton. Wrack will look to make it 2 home wins from 2 as we take on a team who sit a point and a place above us in the table. Alfreton have an obvious weak point and that is their defense as they hold the 5th worse defense in the league (conceded 28 in the league).

However whilst they own the second worst goal scoring record in the league (18) they have the factor of unpredictability on their side. 10 different players have scored a goal for today's visitors leaving a question mark on who to focus on when defending.

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There are returns for Turnbull and Bell who missed out in the previous games due to fitness concerns. Halls retains his position for today with Thompson having just returned from injury and not being deemed fit enough to play.

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Another game and another strong performance. We should've won by more but we struggled to take our chances whilst Alfreton struggled to create anything (2 shots on the day, 1 on target!).

We could have gone into the half 1-0 up after Holroyd was teed up perfectly but the striker hit wide. At the beginning of the second half it was a similar story as a lovely passing move ended with Holroyd 1-on-1 with the keeper but once again he hit wide.

With all the clear cut chances we had it was surprising to see the goal come from nowhere. After a good passing move Alfreton managed to tackle Holroyd but the defender couldn't control the ball and from about 20 yards out Turnbull marked his return with a fierce first touch goal which rocketed past everybody to make it 1-0.

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We really need to be more clinical if we are to really push up the table but that is 3 wins in 4 league games now and we now sit in 18th with a 5 point cushion from relegation.​

 

[kmitchell96]

Game 23: Torquay (VC)
Another tough game today as we face 6th place Torquay. They are a team who score goals for fun whilst staying strong at the back having conceded an average of a goal a game whilst scoring almost 2 a game. However after just 2 losses in their first 19 games they now have 2 losses in their last 3 including a spectacular 5-3 home loss against Forest Green after going 3-0 up.

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Thompson makes his Silkmen debut today as he looks to play as a part of what is believed to be our strongest back line possible. The big news is the dismissal of Halls who is out of the squad altogether today with Cowan preferred on the bench, with his Silkmen career in speculation this could be the beginning of the end.

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My strongest managerial outing yet. Torquay didn't have a clue how to defend against us as we tore them apart. Our passing is second to none in this league as we quickly move the ball and create problems and today we showed the clinical finishing we have needed.

After going 1-0 up 2 minutes in I think the shock saw us zone out a bit but we quickly recovered and eventually were 4-1 up! When Torquay got their second I was worried about a collapse but we added to our tally and then shut the game off as we pick up another 3 points!

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Whilst we dominated possession and the shot count we won the game in our movement. All 5 goals were created by a killer through ball (2 straight from left back to striker) as we constantly found the killer pass. We could have scored more than what we did but 5 is more than enough.

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The win sees us rise to 15th still with a 5 point gap on the bottom 4 but we now have more teams below us who would have to win when we lose for us to get back into the mix. Also for the first time since the middle of September (Game 11) we have a goal difference that isn't negative. Now with 4 wins from 5 league games and confidence growing we are aiming higher​

 

[kmitchell96]

Game 24: Barnet (VC)
Another tough game this time against 4th place Barnet. Barnet have been inconsistent all year and had have they been able to turn draws into wins they would probably be in the top 2 right now challenging for that top spot. With the leagues top scorer in Akinde we are going to have to be rock solid at the back however going forward we can try and exploit what isn't the greatest defence.

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No changes to the starting 11 after a strong performance against Torquay as a team. Halls comes on to the bench and that seems to dominate pre-match talk as people continue to wonder what will happen in January to the full back. Mo Shariff returns from injury and books himself a place on the bench.

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This was tough to take. 10 minutes in Turnbull was subbed off after going 1-0 up after a free kick bounced off the post to be tapped home on the rebound. However we continued to control play but Barnet's last ditch defending saved them time after time.

Just after half time though a clash between Akinde and Rhys Taylor (our keeper) left Taylor injured and the shot stopper was subbed off and despite staying strong at the back it was substitute keeper Branigan who cost us the game as he miskicked straight to Gash who slotted past him in the 93rd minute.

Whilst a point was a good result for us on paper we deserved all 3. The result sees us drop down a place but pick up an extra point on the relegation zone.​

 

[kmitchell96]

Game 25: AFC Telford (VC)
As we come up against the worst team in the league I was somehow nervous. Despite the visitors being bottom of the league, 6 points adrift of anybody and having the worst goal scoring and defensive records in the league I was still cautious of a potential upset.

This is because whilst at Barnsley it was a game against the worst team in the league that started the beginning of the end of my reign for the Tykes. Whilst the squad were confident of an easy win I was worrying about a repeat of the Yeovil game.

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An unchanged side again as we look to continue this run despite my cautiousness as we approach the game.

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Despite picking up 3 points which see us go up to 15th with a 9 point gap on relegation that was by far our worst performance since my arrival. Going forward we were dreadful, giving the ball away needlessly time after time and at the back we made AFC Telford look like FC Barcelona.

If it wasn't for dreadful finishing by the home side we would have lost but it was only a fantastic work rate by Fairhurst for the first and an unbelievable 30 yard free kick by Bell for the second that gave us the win. The last minute of extra time saw us give away a needless penalty and injure a Telford player despite no need for the challenge which I talked about with the squad after.​

 

[kmitchell96]

Game 26: Aldershot (VC)
A winnable away tie today as we face 8th in the league Aldershot. I say winnable as they have only won 1 of their previous 6 fixtures and 1 of their last 5 home fixtures. The second top scorers in the league will prove a threat going forward but they also boast the worst defensive record outside of the bottom 6 teams.

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Barrow comes in for Taylor as the only change today as Taylor has struggled with fitness in a busy run of games heading towards new year.

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The only difference between the two of us was the desire to chase down the ball. Every time we didn't have the ball we were pressing and chasing it and that is how we scored two of our goals as Turnbull and Lewis simply showed more desire to get to the ball before any defenders to tap home.

Aldershot looked slow and lazy in their play and it cost them the game giving us 2 tap ins and an open lane for Heath to hit home from outside the box. As one of the top scoring sides in the league I expected more of a threat from the hosts as we move up to 12th with an 11 point gap on relegation.

More impressive than the gap from the bottom four is that we now sit just 8 points of the top 5 and a playoff spot!​

 

[kmitchell96]

Game 27: Colwyn Bay (FA Trophy Round 1)
A much needed break from the league that will give us a chance to advance in the cup. Not only does it give us a chance to reflect on our league form but we now also get the chance to bring in some much needed money if we can advance.

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A strong side that should easily win us the tie against a lower league opposition.

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27 shots compared to their 5.
66% possession.

Stats show we dominated and should have won and we would have. If not for Holroyd's awful efforts in front of goal!

Time after time the striker skyed or swept wide shots and it cost us the game in the end. We go to a unwanted replay as Fairhurst rescued the tie but with finishing like that again we will fail to win any game.​

 

[Nnicod55]

Good job!! You're one day at UCL managing team like ManU, Lpool etc!

 

[kmitchell96]

Good job!! You're one day at UCL managing team like ManU, Lpool etc!

Who knows? I am hoping to get promoted with Macclesfield before leaving but at the same time it depends who comes in for me. Won't apply for any jobs unless I don't have one (it is one of my general rules for FM). Glad I got things working here though cause once I was fired from Barnsley it looked like it could've been over.

 

[Nnicod55]

Who knows? I am hoping to get promoted with Macclesfield before leaving but at the same time it depends who comes in for me. Won't apply for any jobs unless I don't have one (it is one of my general rules for FM). Glad I got things working here though cause once I was fired from Barnsley it looked like it could've been over.

Well that is good rule... Myself I'm sometimes not so patiently cause I like start games in Finland(I'm finnish) and sometimes it's hard to find job aboard and you need to be more "aggressive" when looking new team.. Well in FM14 it's like that... I'm buying FM16 in steam christmas sales cause 1. I don't have too much cash 2. I hope there will be new patch(es) before that

 

[kmitchell96]

Well that is good rule... Myself I'm sometimes not so patiently cause I like start games in Finland(I'm finnish) and sometimes it's hard to find job aboard and you need to be more "aggressive" when looking new team.. Well in FM14 it's like that... I'm buying FM16 in steam christmas sales cause 1. I don't have too much cash 2. I hope there will be new patch(es) before that

Yeah I am hoping to buy FM16 after Christmas as well, dependent on money. Just started this game to tide me over till then. I tend to get bored of a team after 2/3 months and used to apply for every other job (had a game where I played 6 years and had about 8 different teams) so stopped myself from doing that now to make it more realistic.

 

[kmitchell96]

Game 28: Colwyn Bay (FA Trophy 1st Round Replay)
So the much unwanted replay was here and we had the task of knocking out the lesser team the second time of asking.

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After the 120 minutes we played in the original game I was expecting to have to make a big rotation to the squad and play a weaker side but all the better players said they were prepared for the tie as we looked to win the second time of asking.

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A much better performance this time round and we never looked like losing the lead. Whilst Colwyn limited our chances going forward they failed to create anything to threaten us and in the end it came down to a couple of set pieces for us to win it.

Whilst I would've liked to have had a more convincing result we are through to the next round and we exhibited the type of football that we normally play but seemed to have forgotten after the first leg.

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After the game we were greeted to the news of a £5000 reward for winning at this stage and we would look to continue a run in this competition to try and boost the clubs finances as even with spare money in the wage budget we are still losing money quicker than we can make it.​

 

[kmitchell96]

Postponement!
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So our game against Alfreton has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch giving us a much needed break after the cup ties. We will play our next game against Grimsby Town (which will be game 29!)​

 

[kmitchell96]

Game 29: Grimsby (VC)
A big game in terms of pulling away from the relegation places as we take on a disappointing Grimsby side who despite expectations currently sit in 19th. Despite being tied for the 5th best attack in the league with John-Lewis leading the way with 9 goals they have been poor defensively conceding 41 goals in the league (better than only 2 other teams).

Recent struggles have lead the way for the poor positioning of today's visitors with no wins in 9 (6 draws, 3 losses). Despite having a strong attack they often concede silly late goals which cost them the 3 points which they have proven to deserve in many cases.

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Our strongest possible side after an extended break because of the postponement against Alfreton. We will look to beat the visitors today in order to push for the play-offs whilst pulling away from the bottom 4.

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After a fantastic first half an hour which saw us with a 3-2 lead after Holroyd, Bell and Lewis had scored for us the game died down. After that first third of the game everything seemed to go against us.

We had to make all of our substitutions in that final 15 minutes of the first half as Fairhurst, Moke and Shariff were all injured from dirty challenges from the visitors. However whilst the travelling Grimsby were allowed to make silly challenges it was Pilkington who caught the referees anger in the final couple of minutes.

After we had looked to be taking all 3 points he dove into a tackle on John-Lewis who didn't even have the ball as Taylor went to pick up the loose ball and it resulted in a second yellow card seeing him sent off. We looked to be lucky as the initial penalty was smashed against the post but we weren't as lucky as the follow up was tapped home.

It was a game of missed chances for us as after taking a 3-2 lead we could have gone into the half with 4 or 5 goals to our name. After 3 attacking players went off in the first half we looked to lose our threat for the second half but continued to stay strong at the back.

After today's result we sit in 14th place where we are 11 points off of both the relegation zone and the play-off's.​

 

[kmitchell96]

Game 30: Bristol Rovers (VC)
A tough game today and with a disappointing performance the last time out I wasn't too hopeful of getting all 3 points today. Bristol currently sit 4th in the league and are one of the most well rounded teams in the division as they sit 3rd in the defensive category and 7th in a scoring category lead by Jermaine Easter who has 4 goals in all competitions.

With only 3 losses in 14 games they have been proved tough to break down. They tend to aim to just score 1 more than what they concede shown by a number of 1-0 wins. However they will be without front man Easter which makes things a little easier for us but they still have 3 players on 4 goals showing they can score whenever.

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This rotation is a result of the injuries and fitness problems after the Grimsby game. Barnes-Homer has had to start upfront whilst Whitaker is playing the number 10 with no fit option to play there. The rotations are making me feel more worried about getting a result as without our strongest side Bristol could pick us apart.

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What a result! The first half was poor from both teams as neither could create chances but the second half was full of attacking football.

The first goal showed how our passing game can continue to break defences down as the 3rd best in the league couldn't stop the build up to Barnes-Homer slotting past the keeper. However 5 minutes later we let them through too easily for the equaliser.

In the 85th minute Sinclair hacked down Barnes-Homer and Turnbull slotted home the spotkick to restore out lead. Sinclair was the talk of the game as many believe that the only challenge he got booked for could have been a sending off but then when he gave away a penalty as well as several other free kicks the referee was reluctant to pull out his card, which made me furious!

The final 5 minutes continued to see us dominate but we continued to waste chances which could have extended our lead but Bristol looked down and out after the penalty and were just hacking and hoofing in hope.

Another fantastic result that sees us move up to 12th just 8 points from the play-off spots and now 14 points from the relegation zone. With 37 points in total now as well we sit only one win from the "magic number" of 40 points for safety.​

 

[kmitchell96]

New Year Round Up
As we head into the new year and the thick of the season we will look at how football is doing in all levels of English football. We will have a look at the standings, scorers and disappointments in each tier of football.

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The top 4 isn't too much of a shock at this stage of the season as Man City lead the league and are being chased by Liverpool, United and Chelsea for the title. Stoke, Aston Villa and Leicester are all currently struggling as they sit in the relegation zone.

Many have deemed Arsenal to be the most disappointing side so far this season as they sit in just 6th. However in terms of pre-season expectations it is currently Southampton (14th) and Stoke (18th) who are having the most disappointing campaigns as both are missing their expectation of a top half finish.

The biggest shock of the season has to be Newcastle who sit in 5th place chasing the top 4. They have managed to turn what many would have thought to be a tough season into a fantastic one. QPR are also doing fantastically from what people perceived pre-season as they sit 12th in the league.

Most of Newcastle's success has stemmed from Ayoze Perez who currently leads the scoring in the division with 13 goals. However it is Man City's Sergio Aguero who is the best performer in the league leading the way with an average rating of 7.83. Their are 3 players who sit on 9 assists at the moment to lead the way including both Morrison and Mulumbu from West Brom.

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The Championship hasn't thrown too many shocks around this season but the current top 2 could be seen as surprising as Reading top the league and Bournemouth sit in second. The play-off spots are currently occupied by Fulham, Cardiff, Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich.

Many believe that the relegation zone is occupied by the obvious. A crumbling Blackpool are joined by Millwall and Rotherham and all 3 look to be heading for relegation with nobody being able to find an answer to their poor seasons.

The best season has got to be Sheffield Wednesday who have managed to turn a mid-table expectation into currently sitting in 5th and battling for promotion. At the opposite side of things Wolves are believed to be the most disappointing as the side who were thought to be ready to return to the premier league currently sit in 19th.

Despite Bournemouth sitting in second they lead the way in all of the player categories. Callum Wilson is currently the top scorer with 16 goals already. Tommy Elphick has been fantastic at the back and owns the title of the best player in the league so far with an average rating of 7.65. Whilst Matt Ritchie currently has 10 assists, 2 more than anybody else in the league.

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League 1 is throwing up a couple of shocks at the minute including Leyton Orient sitting in 2nd whilst Sheffield United occupy the top spot. The play-off positions are currently owned by Bristol City, Doncaster, Coventry and Rochdale.

At the other end of the table there are half seasons to forget for Scunthorpe, Yeovil, Notts County and Crawley who have all failed to do anything spectacular as they look to be heading to league 2.

The biggest surprise of the season is Fleetwood who sit in 7th place and are challenging for the play-off places. The biggest disappointment has to go to Barnsley as a side who were expected to fight for promotion currently sit in 20th!

Despite Bradford being in 17th place and struggling the top scorer is currently Stead who has 12 goals to his name. Harris for Sheffield United is the highest rated player this season at 7.60 whilst there are 4 players currently with 9 assists.

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League 2 has possibly seen the most surprises out of any division. Cambridge and Wimbledon are currently the two front runners for the title whilst Portsmouth occupy the third automatic place. The play-off's also hold shocks as Northampton, Bury, Plymouth and Tranmere are fighting for promotion.

At the other end Exeter sit rock bottom and look to be all but set for the drop despite only being in January whilst Dagenham and Redbridge currently occupy the other relegation spot.

Whilst there have been disappointing seasons for Portsmouth (for not being top) and Burton (wanted to fight for promotion but currently sit in 20th) it is Exeter who have been the most disappointing as they were expected to finish close to the play-off's. The biggest shock has to be the top 2 which is Cambridge and Wimbledon who were expected to do no better than mid-table.

The top scorer record is currently held by Wimbledon's Akinfenwa with the big man notching 12 goals to his name so far. Al-Abd currently holds the best player award so far with an average rating of 7.85. Surprisingly Craig Westcarr, formerly of Walsall, now of Portsmouth is the top creator with 8 assists in the league so far.

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Gateshead currently hold the automatic spot whilst Forest Green, Barnet, Bristol Rovers and Wrexham hold the play-off places. At the other end we have seen poor seasons for Chester, Nuneaton, Telford and Alfreton. Wrexham are having a season to remember as they were expected to struggle but currently sit in 5th whilst Grimsby who were one of the favourites for promotion currently sit in 20th place.

Alexander of Altrincham is the top scorer with 12 goals so far. Whilst Turnbull for Macclesfield who have managed to turn their season around underneath new manager Darren Wrack has been fantastic all season and has an average rating of 7.85. 3 players currently have 8 assists to lead that category.

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The conference north is currently led by Harrogate with 8 teams having a brawl for the play-off spots. Colwyn Bay, Gloucester and Lowestoft currently are trying to turn their season around as they try and avoid relegation.

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In the south it is Sutton United who are shocking people by leading the way despite being expected to be a mid-table team. Chelmsford and Boreham Wood who were favourites to fight for the title are currently fighting for the play-off spots. At the other end St.Albans are disappointing as despite being expected to finish in the top half they currently sit alongside Gosport in the relegation zone.

Elsewhere...
In Spain Real Madrid are dominating the league whilst Barcelona are struggling in 5th!

Dortmund are having a season to forget as they are 12th whilst Bayern are dominating the race for the title.

In France PSG aren't dominating as expected as they sit 3rd behind Monaco and SC Bastia.

And Italy also throws a shock up as despite all odds Juventus don't lead the way as they are in 2nd behind AC Milan!​

 

[kmitchell96]

New Year, New Contracts!
I was quite shocked to find out the amount of contracts which were coming into their final 6 months as we looked to build on what we have done so far. As soon as I was given details I went and talked to every player about their contracts...

Senior Squad
Pilkington: £700 wage stays the same, increased bonuses
Fairhurst: £450 wage stays the same, increased goal bonus
Whitaker: £550 increases to £575, increased bonuses
Haining: No new contract
Barnes-Homer: £350 decreases to £325, increased bonuses
Holroyd: £500 decreases to £450, increased goal bonus
Taylor: £500 increases to £650, increased bonuses, refused 2 year extension
Cowan: £150 wage stays the same, increased bonuses
Lewis: £200 increases to £250, increased bonuses
Moke: Wage demands too high, contract will expire
Halls: £350 decreases to £300, increased bonuses
Branagan: Wage demands too high, contract will expire
Lavelle-Moore: Released in January, slow development, £500 a week too high for 5th choice striker
Gibson: £150 increases to £160, increased bonuses
Barrow: Wage demands too high, contract will expire


Players with 2016 contract expiry: Turnbull, Bailey, Heath, Greaves, Shariff
Players on loan: Clark, Taylor, Thompson, Bell, Grant, Adeloye


Youth Squads
Disney: No development, contract will expire
Hunter: No development, contract will expire
Tighe: No development, contract will expire
Milan Thompson: Contract doesn't expire until 2017

I was happy to not have to talk to Turnbull as I believed that once his contract is up he will ask to leave as he is too good for this level but on the whole I am happy with all the contract talks. The only disappointment in my eyes was Moke refusing to accept a new contract without being the highest paid player at the club.

The biggest positive is that before talks we only had £300 spare in the wage budget but as the club continues to lose money and looks to be heading towards bankruptcy I managed to free up another £600 meaning we are now sitting with a spare £900 in the wage budget which should help to let us rebuild financially.
​